Frequent Flyer Credit Cards Background

Compare frequent flyer credit cards

Are you a travel lover looking to get further with the right frequent flyer credit card? The table below displays some of the highest-rated frequent flyer credit cards from our online partners. The results shown are sorted by highest Star Rating.

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Instantly compare 140+ credit cards based on the inputs below


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  • Purchase rate p.a. - lowest first
  • Purchase rate p.a. - highest first
  • Reward points per $1 - lowest first
  • Reward points per $1 - highest first
  • Annual fee - lowest first
  • Annual fee - highest first
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 234945.
12.99%
-
$59
dot
0% p.a. for 24 months on balance transfers.
dot
Free overseas travel insurance. No FX fees.
dot
3% BT Fee. Ltd time, other fees, T&Cs apply.
Offer
Travel insurance
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 234945.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 234945.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
13.74%
-
$59
dot
0.00% p.a. interest rate on balance transfers for 26 mths. Rate reverts to 21.49% p.a. Balance transfer fee of 2% applies.
Offer
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
23.99%
1.25
up to 100,000 pts/yr then 1 uncapped
$450
dot
Earn up to 90,000 bonus Qantas Points
dot
Min spend $3k in 3 months. Offer ends 13 Jan 2026.
dot
T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only
Bonus
Travel insurance
Points never expire
Airline lounge access
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 230686.
20.74%
0.50
uncapped
$0
dot
Points never expire
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 230686.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 230686.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
13.99%
-
$55
dot
0% p.a. interest rate on balance transfers for 24 mths.
dot
2% BT fee applies.
Offer
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
N/A
2.25
uncapped
$1,450
Bonus
Travel insurance
Points never expire
Airline lounge access
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
23.99%
2
uncapped
$395
Bonus
Travel insurance
Points never expire
Airline lounge access
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
20.99%
1.25
uncapped
$295
$200 in first year
Bonus
Discount
Travel insurance
Points never expire
Airline lounge access
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
23.99%
1.25
uncapped
$440
Bonus
Travel insurance
Airline lounge access
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
23.99%
1.25
up to 100,000 pts/yr then 1 uncapped
$450
Bonus
Travel insurance
Points never expire
Airline lounge access
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
23.99%
1
up to 12,000 pts/yr then 0.75 uncapped
$95
Bonus
Travel insurance
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
23.99%
1
uncapped
$108
Bonus
Points never expire
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
20.99%
1
uncapped
$175
$99 in first year
Bonus
Discount
Travel insurance
Points never expire
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 233714.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 230686.
20.74%
0.50
uncapped
$0
Points never expire
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 230686.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 230686.
promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 234945.
0%
for 6 mths
then 18.99%
-
$0
Offer
Discount
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 234945.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 234945.

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Unsure of a term in the above table? View glossary

The initial results in the table above are sorted by Reward points per $1 (High-Low) , then Annual fee (Low-High) . Additional filters may have been applied, which impact the results displayed in the table - filters can be applied or removed at any time.

promoted
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313.
Earn up to 90,000 bonus Qantas Points
dot
Earn up to 90,000 bonus Qantas Points
dot
Min spend $3k in 3 months. Offer ends 13 Jan 2026.
dot
T&Cs apply. New American Express Card Members only
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313. See Terms & Conditions.
Fees & charges apply. Australian Credit Licence 291313. See Terms & Conditions.

How do frequent flyer credit cards work?

Frequent flyer credit cards allow you to earn points on your eligible everyday spending. Credit cards are linked to airline programs such as Qantas and Velocity frequent flyer. You can earn points per dollar spent using the credit card. These points are then transferred into your frequent flyer account.

Frequent flyer credit cards can also come with extra perks, such as complimentary travel insurance and lounge access. The trade-off is they usually charge higher annual fees and interest rates.

Pros and cons of frequent flyer credit cards

A frequent flyer credit card can be a good way to earn some extra points, but they are usually more expensive than non-rewards credit cards. Here are some of the potential pros and cons.

Pros

  • Earning points. The main benefit of a frequent flyer credit card is that you can earn points on your eligible everyday spending. These points are added to your frequent flyer account and can be redeemed for things like flights, upgrades, shopping and more.
  • Extra perks. Frequent flyer credit cards can also come with extra perks like complimentary insurance and lounge access.
  • Bonus offers. Many cards offer bonus frequent flyer points for new customers. You will usually need to spend a certain amount within the first few months of having the card.

Cons

  • Higher annual fees and interest rates. Frequent flyer credit cards usually charge higher annual fees and interest rates than non-rewards credit cards. This means they will be more expensive, particularly if you don’t pay off your balance in full each month.
  • Points conditions. You will only earn points on your eligible spending and providers may also put caps on the number of points you can earn. The value of the points you earn can also vary across different frequent flyer schemes.
  • Temptation to overspend. A frequent flyer credit card may encourage you to spend more to get more points, which can lead to overspending.

Is it worth getting a frequent flyer credit card?

It depends on how you will use your credit card. If you will regularly use your credit card and will pay it off in full each month, the benefits you can get from the card could offset the annual fee or even exceed it. But if you rarely use your card or are likely to carry a balance on your card month to month, the cost of having the card could be greater than the potential benefits.

How to compare frequent flyer credit cards

If you’ve decided to get a frequent flyer credit card, here are some factors to look at when comparing cards:

  • What is the earn rate? This is the number of points you can earn per dollar spent. Some credit cards have different earn rates for different types of spend. It’s also important to check if there are any points caps on the number of points you can earn per statement period.
  • Are there any bonus offers? Many frequent flyer credit cards offer bonus points for new customers. However, you will usually need to spend a certain amount within the first few months of having the card. So check whether you’re likely to spend this much and be careful of overspending.
  • How much is the annual fee? There are a handful of frequent flyer credit cards with no annual fee, but in general the fee will be higher than other credit cards. To work out whether the annual fee is worth the cost, consider the number of frequent flyer points you could earn, the value of these points and any additional features you can get.
  • What is the interest rate? Frequent flyer credit cards also tend to charge higher interest rates. So it’s important to keep this in mind if you may not pay your balance in full every month.
  • Are there any extra features? Your card may offer extra features like complimentary insurances and lounge access. Check what is available and whether this would help offset the annual fee.

Canstar Star Ratings and Awards

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Looking for an award-winning product or to switch providers or brands? Canstar rates products based on price and features in our Star Ratings and Awards. Our expert Research team shares insights about which credit card products offer 5-Star value and which providers offer outstanding value. We also reveal which providers have the most satisfied customers in our dedicated Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Frequent Flyer Credit Cards Frequently Asked Questions

Which Qantas credit card earns the most points?

At the time of writing, the Qantas American Express Ultimate Card offers the highest earn rate among the cards on Canstar’s database, at 1.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent.

It also offers 2.25 Qantas Points per $1 spent on eligible Qantas products and services and 0.5 Qantas Points per $1 spent on purchases at government bodies in Australia.

Which Velocity credit card earns the most points?

At the time of writing, the American Express Velocity Platinum Card offers the highest earn rate among the cards on Canstar’s database, at 1.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent.

It also offers 2.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent on eligible purchases within Virgin Australia and 0.5 Velocity Points per $1 spent on purchases at government bodies in Australia.

What are eligible purchases for earning points?

Most everyday purchases will be eligible purchases. There are some purchases that won’t be eligible to earn points, as outlined by the credit card provider. Some common examples include interest, fees and charges, cash advances and balance transfers.

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About our finance experts

Tamika Seeto, Finance Journalist

Tamika Seeto

Tamika Seeto is a Finance Journalist at Canstar, specialising in banking and general insurance. She covers topics including budgeting, savings accounts, term deposits, credit cards, as well as car, home and travel insurance.

Tamika joined Canstar after completing a Bachelor of Journalism and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) at Queensland University of Technology. She has written well over 500 finance articles since joining Canstar and her work is regularly referenced by other publishers, such as The GuardianABCYahoo FinanceThe Motley FoolThe Age and The Conversation.

You can follow Tamika on LinkedIn, and Canstar on Twitter and Facebook.


Josh Sale, Credit Card Ratings Manager

Joshua Sale, Ratings ManagerAs Canstar’s Ratings Manager, Josh Sale is responsible for the methodology and delivery of Canstar’s Credit Card Star Ratings and Awards. With tertiary qualifications in economics and finance, Josh has worked behind the scenes for the last five years to develop Star Ratings and Awards that help connect consumers with the right credit card for them.

Josh is passionate about helping consumers get hands-on with their finances. Josh has been interviewed by media outlets such as the Australian Financial Review, news.com.au and Money Magazine.

You can follow Josh on LinkedIn, and Canstar on Twitter and Facebook.


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This advice is general and has not taken into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider whether this advice is right for you.

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  • Low fee is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest Annual Fee, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Rewards is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest Annual Fee, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Frequent Flyer is sorted by Star Ratings, then highest airline points per dollar, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Balance Transfer is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest balance transfer rate, then lowest rate for the longest period, then lowest revert rate, then lowest upfront fee, and then alphabetically by brand. Please note that Balance Transfer Star Ratings are not for balance transfer suitability but are instead based on the Low Rate profile. 
  • All card types is sorted by highest Points per dollar spent, then lowest Annual fee, then alphabetically by brand.
  • Overseas Travel is sorted by Star Ratings, then lowest currency conversion on purchases, then lowest annual fee.

 

You can use the sort buttons at the top of each column to re-order the display. Learn more about our Credit Cards Star Rating Methodology and our Travel Credit Card and Travel Debit Card Star Ratings Methodology. The Occasional Overseas Traveller rating is shown in the table. The rating shown is only one factor to take into account when considering products. 

The products and Star Ratings in the table might not match your exact inputs in the selector. Sometimes the methodology uses profiles with categories or bands (e.g. income, loan amount or monthly spend), but sometimes a single methodology, without any categories or bands, is applied. The results will show the products that most closely match your selection, based on our profiles. If you are unsure about any terms used in the comparison table please refer to the glossary.

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A Target Market Determination (‘TMD’) is a document that explains which people particular financial products may be suitable for (the target market) and sets out any conditions around how financial products can be distributed to consumers.

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We recommend that you consider the TMD before making a purchase decision. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the TMD.

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